1. Field
The disclosure relates generally to data processing systems and in particular, to using services to manage gifts. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method, apparatus, and computer program product services for suggesting, ordering, tracking, and confirming receipt of gifts.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Internet is a global system of computer networks that are connected to each other. These networks may be private, public, government, and/or other types of networks. The Internet is used to provide various services and content to users. For example, many users may visit websites to obtain information, download files, purchase goods and services, make financial transactions, and perform other operations.
Vendors put up websites on the Internet to provide and sell their products and services. Each vendor web site seeks the attention of the buying public. However, getting the attention of the buying public can be expensive and difficult to achieve. Users may be unaware of the existence of the vendor or unaware of the types of products and services sold by the vendor. One solution is to employ advertising to grab the attention of the user. But full advertising campaigns can be expensive and miss the intended audience. Another solution is for vendors to sell through an Internet based retailer who in turn sells products from many vendors. But selling through an Internet based retailer may be unacceptable to the vendor. A vendor may be, for example, a retailer, a non-profit organization, a government entity, or some other suitable type of vendor. Therefore, it would be beneficial for vendors to find other ways to make users aware of the products and services they have for sale.
When a user buys a product or service, on many occasions the purchase is for a gift. It is often difficult for those giving gifts to pick out a gift that will be well received. One solution to this problem is to provide a way for users to make and browse recommendations of vendor products and services on a web site. However, the recommendations made on web sites are likely made from persons unknown to the gift sender and gift receiver. As a result, the recommendations on web sites may not be as reliable as desired. Another solution to this problem would be for the gift givers and gift receivers to create manual records of gifts and logs of comments made by gift receivers regarding received gifts. However, creating records of gifts sent and logs of comments by gift receivers would be difficult and time consuming tasks for both gift givers and gift receivers. Further, records of gifts sent to a particular gift receiver and logs of comments from the gift receiver may not be readily available for use by a particular gift giver when the gift giver is making gift selections for the gift receiver.
Additionally, when purchasing a gift it can be difficult to determine approximately how much to spend. For example, when giving gifts some gift givers would prefer to spend an amount approximate to the amount spent on them by the person they are giving the gift to. As another example, some gift givers would prefer to select gifts that are based on remaining within an overall budget for sending gifts.
Because of the amount of research required, the number of possible products and services, the number of gifts being sent, and budgeting issues selecting gifts can take more time than desired. Therefore, it would be beneficial to speed up the process of selecting gifts.
Further, when receiving gifts it may be desirable for the gift receiver to send a thank you note to the gift giver. For example, the gift may be for a birthday, Christmas, wedding, baby shower, or for some other occasion where it is customary to respond with a thank you note. A thank you note has a number of purposes. The thank you note allows the recipient to thank the gift giver for the gift. The thank you note can also inform the gift giver that the gift was received and/or opened. Further, the thank you note can acknowledge aspects of the gift, an opinion of gift by the gift receiver, a purpose or use of the gift by the gift receiver, the occasion for which the gift was received, a request for communication between the gift giver and gift receiver, and other communications between the gift receiver and gift giver.
Traditional paper thank you notes are sent via a postal mail carrier to the gift giver. The process of preparing and sending a thank you note by paper can be a time consuming task. Sending a paper thank you note may be subject to delay and unnecessary expense due to required purchase of a card and postage. Further, a gift receiver may forget whether they have already sent a thank you note for a particular gift. Still further, in many cases, a gift receiver does not know, or does not conveniently have at hand the mailing address of the gift giver.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to have a method, apparatus, and computer program product that takes into account at least some of the issues discussed above, as well as possibly other issues.